I dropped my coat onto the back of an armchair and sank onto another chair with a sigh, stretching out my legs and cracking my neck. It felt good to finally be back and able to sit down with the others.
“It’s been a long night, huh?” Elia asked.
I nodded, but before I could answer, Yarani walked behind my seat and started to rub my shoulders. I smiled at her and relaxed into her hands.
“You can say that,” I agreed. I’d wanted to go straight back after talking to the spirits, but I knew I should show up for the ceremony. The celebrations had still been going on when I got out, and although I’d needed to force myself to do it, I thought that my presence there had turned out pretty well. There’d definitely been a lot of cheering from the gathered throng, and I could tell I’d solidified my position when it came to the priests.
“What have you been up to?” I asked.
“Nothing much,” Lei said. He’d barely glanced up from whatever he was working on. It looked like a circuit diagram, but I couldn’t be sure without a closer look.
“Things are falling into place, I think,” Yarani said. “The Adzurians are definitely not happy about your recent moves, especially the sea dragon trouble. But it might be best to let it stew for a little while yet, and only give it a nudge if things don’t resolve themselves.”
I nodded. “I’ve given some pointers to the high priest. Hopefully, something will come of it. But I don’t mind waiting a bit.”
“You know me, I’m the soul of patience.” Elia grinned. That had to be the most blatant untruth I’d ever heard from her.
“Gives me more time to work,” Lei said.
I suppressed a frown. I’d need to talk to him, but it might be best to wait until we’d settled things here.
“I’m going to be a little busy with the informants and what they might bring me,” Elia continued, “but there’s nothing to really talk about yet.”
I leaned back and stretched some more. Yarani squeezed my hand for a moment as she stepped back. I turned in my seat, considering for a moment, before I pushed myself up. “If that’s all, we should retire for what little is left of the night.”
Yarani only smiled as I pulled her to the door, and the other two barely looked up as we left. It was hardly the first time this had happened.
We reached the bedroom the Adzurians had assigned us quickly, but I slowed down then, sinking into the bed as I started to divest myself and my girlfriend of clothes. I felt tired in a way that I knew wasn’t physical, just mental.
“Sometimes, I really wish I could just sleep and dream,” I muttered.
Yarani pressed a kiss to the side of my neck, pushing me to lie down further on the bed. “Is it getting worse?”
“Not really,” I said with a sigh. “I’ll deal.” Then I captured her lips, ending the conversation.
It was just an inability to really rest my mind, that kind of reset sleep usually brought, if your consciousness didn’t flow continuously across it. It was a subtle thing, but no less real for it. If I was someone else, I could see myself turning to the bottle or drugs because of it. Although, honesty compelled me to admit how often I’d taken to visiting my consorts’ bedrooms might not be entirely unrelated, for all that I liked to blame it on being stuck in a teenage body and its hormones.
Although, I realized, that part might not be entirely accidental. Making sure I had a high sex drive, which would encourage me to seek out people and perhaps form connections or at least gather partners, the way a princess in my position often did? I just didn’t know. Damn, that showed how the knowledge that you were designed and perhaps influenced could lead to questioning all sorts of stuff about yourself. But I let Yarani push those thoughts out of my mind.
A while later, we lay quietly cuddling together, neither of us sleeping, but enjoying the peaceful quiet. The slight edge of restlessness had drained out of me and I felt more relaxed than I’d had in a while, even as my thoughts turned back to the conversation with my father.
Hesitantly, I began telling Yarani what we’d talked about. I caught myself wishing for a moment that Tenira was here. She was more knowledgeable about things like this. But I discarded that thought and summed up what I’d learned and what Mior had said in a few sentences.
Yarani was silent for a moment. “That’s very interesting, about your connection to the Moon. And that he purposefully crafted you, correct me if I’m wrong, but you already knew about that?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “It’s just something else to learn the details, to be confronted with it like that. I keep catching myself wondering if something about me is part of his design. Who am I really, you know?”
She smiled wanly and kissed my cheek. “I understand. Anyone would be disturbed by something like this. But I don’t think you need to worry. I think the kind of person you are depends more on you than him.”
I propped myself up on an elbow, searching her face. “You really think so?”
“Inaris ...” She hesitated. “There’s more to you than your talents or bloodline. What I love about you isn’t your capabilities or power; if anything, it’s your attitude.” Yarani blushed a little and looked down. “I mean, I couldn’t in good conscience call you humble, but …” She shrugged. “You have the arrogance of a genius, not a princess.”
I frowned. “Not sure what you mean.”
She pulled a face and sighed a little. “You see everyone as a person of worth, and the only reason you care about things like status is because you understand the realities of society. You took me in without even asking whether I was from a noble background or a nobody, and you’ve never treated anyone differently when you learn about things like that. I think that’s what pulled me in, at the beginning, even more than your other qualities like beauty or brilliance. And these things, like your mindset, that’s all you, not something Rijoko could decide.”
A wide smile spread across my face. I leaned in and kissed her softly. Although I’d wondered, on occasion, I’d never asked her why she’d stayed with me. I knew it wasn’t about money or status or even safety. Maybe at first, although I’d have bet on curiosity or just simply attraction, but we’d both invested too much in each other, emotionally, for that to be it. Still, hearing her talking about it now made me feel lighter in a way I hadn’t expected. What she’d said about my mindset being my own helped, too. Oh, I knew it wasn’t that simple or clear-cut, but she definitely had a point.
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“Let’s get up,” I finally said. “We’ve still got work to do, unfortunately.” I glanced at the window, where we could just see the colors of dawn painting the horizon.
Yarani nodded and stood up. “Happy birthday, Nari.”
“Thanks.” I smiled and scooted to the edge of the bed, grabbing for the shirt I’d thrown on the floor earlier. When I looked up again, I caught her eyes, and paused.
“I love you, too, Yarani,” I said. It was true, although before tonight I might not have realized it.
She abandoned her clothes to pull me into another kiss. It took a while longer until we were finally dressed and out the door, and I had to fight to against the smile that kept threatening to appear on my face.
Aston stood in the sitting room we’d been using as a living room. He smiled at me and bowed his head. “Best wishes for your second decade, my lady.”
“Thanks, Aston.” I returned his smile, seeing the hint of irony in his eyes. I echoed his amusement. I might be physically twenty years old, but I would be twenty-four going by my memories. And biologically, my body would be even younger, due to the effects of cultivation. By appearance, I could barely pass for eighteen.
“Where are Lei and Elia?” Yarani asked.
Aston nodded in the direction of the other door, where their bedrooms were. “I think they would prefer to keep their privacy, my lady.”
Yarani glanced at me, grinning. “You think they’re …?”
I snorted. “Probably not.” Neither of them were that bold. “A bit of hesitant kissing. Maybe making out.”
I frowned at the door, then breathed out and closed my eyes, so I could focus on my qi senses more easily. I’d only gotten better at it over the last few months. It was easy to tell that Lei and Elia where in his room, close to where I remembered the window was from the outside, and pretty close together. I couldn’t get many details like this, but there was a bit of a trick to it, since some traits and emotional states where actually reflected in someone’s aura, if you knew what to look for. Both of them weren’t exactly focusing on trying to suppress their auras at the moment, and what I caught made me suspect that I was right. That nervous, giddy feeling was pretty telling. I grinned. I’d tease them mercilessly about it later, but for now I withdrew my focus to give them their privacy.
“I think you’re a bad influence.” Yarani smirked at me.
“Considering I only really got started after I met you, maybe you’re the bad influence,” I retorted. No need to mention my life on Earth.
Before the conversation could devolve into further banter, someone knocked on the door. I called out and one of the guards stepped in and bowed. “Your Highness, one of the slaves from the Alchemical Consortium asked to speak to you. Should I refuse?”
“No, I’ll talk to them.” I considered for a moment. “Let’s go, Aston. I’m sure there’s a room close to where they’re quartered that we can use.”
Yarani stayed and I left a group of guards to guard her and our rooms, while Aston brought another squad of guards with me. Since the assassination attempt, he’d increased security, and even after I learned what was behind it, I hadn’t felt any need to scale it back. The situation was still precarious enough.
Aston guided me to an office down the corridor from the rooms where they’d put up the former slaves, and I settled into an armchair while one of the guards searched the visitor before letting them through. They looked no older than thirty with dark hair and tanned skin, still wearing the gray clothing they’d come in with, although the facial piercings were missing and it looked like the spots they’d been had seen healing. They fell into a formal kowtow just past the door.
“Stand, and come closer,” I said. “What’s your name?”
“Adli, Your Highness.”
I took a moment while my visitor rose from their knees to examine them. They looked androgynous, and I wouldn’t have been sure whether to peg them as a man or woman, although I didn’t know if that was the result of genetics or presentation. I didn’t see any of the marks Adzurian culture used for men or women in their hairstyle or clothing. They didn’t meet my gaze, but their expression was calm and controlled.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
The former slave hesitated, raising their face for a moment. “My deepest apologies for my insolence, Your Highness, but before I speak, I need to know. When you said you would free us, mistress, did you truly mean it?”
I sat back in my chair and considered them for a moment. “Yes, I did. You have my word, on my father, the Moon, that I intend to free you as soon as is feasible.”
Their expression brightened and they bowed. “Deepest gratitude, Your Highness.”
I stopped myself from shifting uncomfortably. “Your Imperial Common is quite good. Eloquent,” I noted. “Yet you were a low-level office attendant for the Alchemical Consortium, weren’t you?” I wasn’t insensitive enough to ask how they’d found themselves in this situation, but I was curious what they wanted. “Go on. This should be interesting.”
Adli licked their lips. “Indeed, Your Highness. I was …” They took a deep breath and straightened their shoulders. “I was hired on by the Dominion Communications Agency.”
That caught my attention and I leaned forward, barely noticing their slight flinch backwards. The Zarian foreign intelligence service. This is definitely interesting. I knew Kariva’s people had a number of informants scattered throughout the city, and they’d definitely try to place them in companies like the Consortium. It made sense the Zarian would do the same. “You’re an informant for them? Tell me more.”
“As you say, Your Highness. My job allowed me access to offices of the Consortium’s management and even some restricted document. I gathered what information I could and passed them on to my handler. Or at least, I tried. I was only recruited two months ago, Your Highness. They paid enough I was saving up for buying my freedom.” They hesitated for a moment. “I was also approached by what I believe to be an agent of the Empire, and entertaining their offers.”
“And what are you hoping to gain by telling me?” I asked, making sure to keep my tone casual.
They still winced and lowered their head. “My partner is a slave owned by a subsidiary of the Alchemical Consortium. The Zarian promised to extend their protection to him in exchange for my services. I was, er, I would beg Your Highness’ mercy to help him.”
I raised an eyebrow. Was that the trade, information in exchange for his freedom? I think I see. You decided to talk to us because you think I’m more likely to actually help you free your partner. I shrugged to myself. Probably true, actually.
“If someone were to provide me valuable services against my enemy, it would be a matter of course to make sure they and their loved ones were safe and secure,” I said. “You have my word on that, too. I have enough pull with the Alchemical Consortium I would certainly be able to arrange it … if I was sure you weren’t trying to trick or swindle me, of course.”
I couldn’t fault Adli’s behavior. If I was in such a bad situation, I’d probably be acting the same way. That didn’t mean I could put blind trust in them.
“I would never, Your Highness.” They bowed again. “My knowledge and skill are at your disposal.”
I used my qi to open the door and gestured Aston inside before I turned my attention back to my guest. “Then tell me everything you know about the Agency in Adzur.”
They didn’t hesitate to follow my order. The longer they talked, the more I realized what an asset had fallen into my lap, or maybe been placed there by divine providence. Adli had been canny enough to try and find out more about their employers and their work than they were supposed to know, and the slave had been somewhat successful. Most of it went over my head or seemed irrelevant, but my intuition was pretty clear that Kariva’s people would be able to use it.
“I may just have found the last shovel burying our hopes to get an embargo against the Zarian,” I commented to Aston.
He frowned. “My lady?”
“We might have to settle for just repelling their attempts to get an embargo,” I said. “With the support I have already gathered, that should be assured, at least. But in turn, this may be the beginning of another coup.”
Both of our gazes moved to the Adzurian, who seemed a little more nervous now. “Your Highness, surely this isn’t the first time an informant for the Zarian defected?”
“No, I imagine not,” I agreed. “But it may just be the hook we need to unravel the Dominion’s intelligence net in Adzur, and perhaps further, with the right sort of push.” I smiled thinly. “You see, I am very good at finding the right way to push something and guide its path.”
I’d been investigating and learning more about what my bloodline enabled me to do. The more I knew and understood, the easier it was for my ability, whether that was Rijoko’s direct guidance or just a power of intuition, to work. But if I, say, knew there was a Dominion safehouse somewhere, if I focused, stumbling on the right location was definitely in the cards.
It wouldn’t be easy, and there wouldn’t be much I could really do, beyond vaguely pointing in the right direction while I was here. But I had faith in Kariva and her efforts.